Crimson Wings of Liberty
by eapelas
Summary: Levi/Petra. The Survey Corps gets attacked by the Female Titan. Captain Levi fears for his team. (Alternate Ending)


" **I'm gonna give them the chance they deserved…" - Me**

 _I wrote this YEARS ago and had it up on wattpad for a short time, but I'm figuring it deserves a new home. If it hurts when reading, remember that I while writing this I hurt myself, too, but don't worry._

 _It's an AU, right? So technically I can do major changes. It's called fan fiction, yeah?_

 **Levi PoV**

 _Earlier..._

" _I don't know... I never have. I can believe in my own abilities or the choices of companions I trust. But no one ever knows how it will turn out." Levi says, keeping his eyes on the road. He hopes Eren will listen. This is a test for him just like it is a trap for the human titan._

 _Eren doesn't transform. Thanks to Petra._ She really is the heart of my squad _, the Levi thinks, trying not to smile._

Now...

A big roar echoes through the woods, rage and sadness...

 _That voice... don't tell me.._.

Levi changes his direction. _No. Not them. Please._

But deep down in his heart he knows it. It is the only explanation. Eren had made his choice, and Levi knows him for long enough to trust him. He wouldn't have transformed as long as there was someone to tell him not to. His heart missed a beat, and a feeling of sad calmness washed over his feelings of revenge, satisfaction and power, eradicating them until nothing of it was left, not even the memory.

Then he sees him. Gunther. He is caught upside down on his steel wire, lifeless. Killed by a human. Levi passes him, not slowing down. Something cold wraps itself around his heart. He will not stop. Can't stop. It wouldn't change anything anyway.

Eld lies on the grass, but his lower half lies far away from him. _So much blood, so much blood, so_ much – stop. Don't. The Captain closes his eyes and shields his heart, not wanting to see what is ahead. But he must. He owes it to his team. It's the least he can do.

His limbs in abstract angles and in a lake of blood lies Oluo. He must have died the instant he hit the ground.

Suddenly everything is gone. Every thought, every feeling, every memory, all gone.

Two words remain.

 _ **Not. Her.**_

Levi slows down. Beside her, his feet hit the ground, easy and light like a feather. Not her.

Not her. Not her. Not her. Not her. Not her.

Not her. Not her. Not her. Not her. Not her.

Not her. Not her. Not her. Not her. Not her.

Not her. Not her. Not her. Not her. Not her.

Not her. Not her. Not her. Not her. Not her.

He blinks.

Not. Petra. Never her.

Humanity's greatest soldier falls to his knees beside her. Her eyes are closed. A single tear makes its way down his cheek. If she would have been 50 centimetres to the right, she would have landed in a tree.

Then he notices. She is breathing.

 _Petra Ral. Don't do this to me_ , he thinks. He quickly examines her and applies pressure bandages on both of her legs just over her knees, to stop the blood from drooling out of her smashed ankles and feet. That Titan Bitch must have stepped on her and pinned her to the ground, probably out of the air, judging by the wound on her head. Levi rolls her over to her back, giving her room to breathe.

Petra would be okay for an hour or so, but he had to hunt down the killer of his squad. She wouldn't get away. His heartache, sadness, relief and shock are replaced by a cold and very calculated rush of adrenaline.

Levi kisses Petra on her lips, getting her blood on his cheek and whispering a promise. "I will come back. I will bring you back home. You'll be save."

Then he starts manoeuvring through the giant trees, past Eren's steaming titan body, to help Mikasa bring the Female Titan down.

 **Petra PoV**

Morning sun shines through my bedroom window. The clean air is flooded in sunlight, playing with the shadows from the trees outside. I smile and close my eyes. The world is enchantingly beautiful for it can be so cruel. Or are the humans the cruel ones? Maybe the stories of alchemists are true, and a failed experiment created the titans. Wait – titans? What titans? In the Greek mythology they died out, didn't they? They were replaced by the Olympians.

Levi comes in, smiling, wearing a white shirt and pyjama pants. "I made breakfast! Come on! Out of bed, it's already eleven!"

"Really? That early?" I mumble, smiling. Levi is never up at this time. Maybe he remembered my birthday? Wait, what? My birthday is in winter... whatever. It's a beautiful day. I'm happy.

Levi picks me up bridal style, but suddenly my blanket is gone and I'm cold. I want to call his name, but I can't speak. He carries me downstairs and out into the garden, where he had prepared a picnic with flowers. They're Forget Me Not, my favourite sort. They smell like wood and earth and it tastes like blood.

I feel myself falling and everything blurs, Levi and the garden vanish, I fall. But I am caught by two strong arms. Oluo?

I open my eyes but I still see nothing but black. Where am I? I can't feel my body. With great effort I manage to move my index finger for an inch, and I find my eyes. I open them.

Above me I see Levi. He doesn't look happy. He looks like... I don't know. I'm tired. I feel being laid down on a hard ground, and as the warmth of Levi's arms leaves me, I welcome the darkness.

The next time I wake up, I hear shouts and the floor rumbles under me. I can't feel my legs. I remember that I once had legs, but now I'm not sure what legs are. I use my arms and heave myself up into a sitting position. I am on a carriage, and we are moving full speed. The Survey corps is spread thin around me; I must be in the middle of the formation.

The rumbling comes from an 8-meter titan chasing behind us. The distance between him and the last carriages is disturbingly slim. But then one of the newest corps members, a purple haired girl, rides a circle around him, flies through the air with her 3dmg and takes him down.

I lie back down, trying to relax and move my toes. I fail. And pain is everywhere, dragging me back into the darkness.

 **Levi PoV**

"Excuse me Captain Levi, I, uh, I am Petra's father, sir; might I talk to you before she sees us..." He keeps blabbering on and on with no stop, saying he is concerned about her getting married and settling down and fatherly issues or whatever...

Levi can't handle it anymore. She thought about marriage? Was she thinking about leaving his team before today? How could she not tell him, maybe he wouldn't have let her join them... he blinks. And looks up to him.

"I'm sorry." He says.

Mr. Ral stops talking abruptly, a look of horror in his eyes. "What...? Are you saying, that...?"

What? _Oh._ He stops, too, and turns towards him, his horse patiently behind him. "A titan stepped on her legs, Mr. Ral," he says, polite, keeping up his usual blank facade, fishing for the right words. "She's alive... but she'll never walk again."

Mr. Ral's face lightens up in hope. _Why hope_ , Levi thinks. _There is no hope left_. And then he expresses a part of himself, a part he forgot to ever exist.

"I'm sorry. I am so, _so_ sorry. I couldn't save her, I wasn't there, I... I... I couldn't save anyone." He whispers, just loud enough for Petra's father to hear, no one else. Then he turns around and joins the survey corps procession. He and his horse are the last. People throw insults at them, but he doesn't care.

Mr. Ral watches the corps go, a sudden respect for the Captain flaming up in his heart.

 **Petra PoV**

Morning sun shines through my bedroom window. The clean air is flooded in sunlight, playing with the shadows from the trees outside. I smile and close my eyes. The world is enchantingly beautiful for it can be so cruel. Or are the humans the cruel ones? Maybe the stories of alchemists are true, and a failed experiment created the titans. Wait – titans? What titans? In the Greek mythology they died out, didn't they? They were replaced by the Olympians.

Levi comes in, smiling, wearing –

"Petra?" My father asks.

I open my eyes. What? Where is Levi? "Where am I?"

"You are safe, sweetie," Mom says. "Behind Wall Rose. You'll never have to go out there again, you are save here, don't worry –"

"What are you talking about?" I ask. What _is_ she talking about? I should be fighting beside my squad.

"Petra, your squad got eliminated by the titans. The expedition failed. It's a miracle that they didn't – you know – _eat_ you."

What? Does that mean Levi? No. Not him. Don't think about it. "Why can't I remember?"

Mom looks at me with watery eyes. "A titan stepped on your legs – or so we think. You've been trampled to the ground and hit your head pretty hard."

I touch my head. I can feel a bandage and it hurts. I try to stand up, but pain like I never felt before exploded in my legs. "What's with my legs?"

Mom starts crying and Dad hugs her. "The bones were crushed. You won't be able to walk again. Ever." Tears run down his cheeks.

And then I remember. I remember Levi leaving us, I remember Gunther, dead and hanging on the tree, I remember Eld being bitten in half. I tried to get away, but I was too not high enough, too slow. Then darkness. And my strange dream. Levi rescuing me? Was Oluo alive? And just now? Levi again?

"I am tired." I say. I'm lying, but I want to be alone. My head hurts like hell. And whatever happened to my legs, I couldn't feel them, just pain.

They nod, promise to visit again tomorrow, and leave. It is then that I realise, that it is not morning like I thought in my dreams, but evening. I am in the other side of the Building. I lie back down. My legs hurt, but it's bearable when I concentrate on the pain in my head. Then I hear knocking.

"Come in." I say weakly. I haven't quite figured out my voice yet, it seems. I sit up; my vision needs a few second to see through the spinning room and my head pounds. It's Levi. He looks like he hasn't slept for days, but I am so relieved. He's alive.

 **Levi PoV**

Levi enters and slowly walks towards Petra's bed and kneels beside her.

"Are you okay?" She asks.

Levi laughs without humor. "I don't know, Petra. Three members of my squad died four days ago, and you..." His voice breaks. He looks at his hands. What should he do? Levi knows how much she loves the 3DMG, he knows how much she liked wearing the scout uniform, how _much_ she would miss it. Because he would miss it, too. "I'm so sorry."

"Hey, don't be," she says, "I might not be able to walk or fight, but I don't need to walk for the 3D manoeuvre gear, do I?"

"Eld, Gunther and Oluo are dead." Levi decides to say.

A single tear runs down her cheek. "Oluo too? I didn't see it..."

Then Levi understands. How Oluo was always around her, how they laughed so freely together. They were together. Like, together together. He keeps his neutral, bored face, through all his worries, his aching heart. "I'm sorry. I know you loved him. I should never have left my team." He closes his eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

"You were thinking about marriage, Petra. Or your father thought so; he spoke to me about it. But Oluo is dead, and it's my fault."

She seems disoriented. No, heartbroken. He just told her that her boyfriend was dead. "You think I was with Oluo?"

Levi closes his heart, and with his best arrogant voice he says, "It wasn't obvious, I don't think anyone else has noticed –"

Petra grabs Levi's cravat and pulls him into a kiss. A thousand little Levis start screaming of happiness, but ten thousand scream in sadness. He softly pulls away, without kissing her back. "Petra. Please. I know this is hard for you, but-"

"Shut up, Heichou. Whatever my dad told you, it's wrong." Her eyes fill with tears. "I wasn't with Oluo. We were just friends. And I love the whole squad."

"But what-"

"I love you, Levi. Like, more than the rest of the squad." She tries to smile, but fails. Her eyes are so sad; it's too much for him. He never wanted to hurt her.

But maybe they could both be happy.

"I love you, too."

And he did. Since the first day he met her. He took her into his squad to be able to protect her. He made the squad especially to do so. And he failed.

Then he kisses her. He doesn't care about titans. He doesn't care about anything but this kiss. Everything else can wait.

They kiss a while longer, and then Levi lies down beside her, and arm in arm, they fall asleep.

Later...

Levi and Petra stood on the highest point of Wall Rose, below them many old, high trees, one month after their encounter with the Female Titan. Well, 'stood' was incorrect. Petra sat in a wheelchair and Levi kneeled before her. They were wearing their 3DMG, and both were smiling happily.

The titans had vanished just as fast as they came, the Female Titan along with every other titan was last seen on the day of the "Last Expedition against Titans", the day Petra got stepped on. The Survey Corps was celebrated as their saviours.

"With this ring, I promise to love you and take care of you forever." Levi put a silver ring on Petra's hand and placed a kiss on top of it.

"And with this ring, I promise to love you and take care of you forever." Petra put an identical ring on Levi's hand, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately.

After a minute or so the parted and smiled at each other, happy.

It was one of the few times where Levi was seen smiling in public.

Petra's parents and relatives were standing with the Scouts around them and everyone laughed and applauded. And wished them a Happy Day.

Then Levi drove his Love to the edge of the wall. Together, they jumped. And didn't die. They were wearing their 3DMG. Levi picked a Forget me not for Petra, and then they "flew" back on the wall. Did some more kissing.

And **they** **all. fucking. lived. happily. ever. after. fuck. everyone. who. wants. to. hurt. them.**

 **...and they** _ **lived.**_

 _I'm just sitting here crying over my half dead OTPs... don't mind me..._


End file.
